Some Good News

[New Haven Neil]

I'm relatively new around here, and have been missing for a while due to some real log-in difficulties which admin @DCUKMod has kindly persevered with and sorted for me.

Anyway, less waffle and get to the point Neil! I was diagnosed in May at 51/6.8% HbA1c so not badly diabetic but enough to take a shot across the bows.

The GP was new in his first weeks in the practice, and just referred me to the practice diabetic nurse - who he nor I didn't realise was....well, not too good. Finding this forum shortly afterwards pointed this out quite quickly, thanks guys and gals. Referring to advice here soon made me aware of the need to lower carb intake, not the rubbish I was being told about. Ah yes, Desmond - a day of my life I won't get back.

Discussing with the GP (who now is settling in - youngish and good it turns out) he was supportive of low (ish) carbing, but slightly sceptical. So off I go....cutting out white rice,pasta, bread, etc, just eating small portions of wild/wholemeal alternatives, lentil pasta, etc, Burgen bread and not a lot of any of it. Plenty good proteins etc.

July HbA1c 41/5.9%, GP impressed, Neil is too.

Now HbA1c - 36/5.4%, GP over the moon for me and now convinced, me over the moon too! Lost 10 kg and more, exercising a little more but hey I'm 60 and not sporty in the slightest, walk maybe 2 miles a day. GP declares T2 in remission - whoop!

The only disappointment is I still feel very lethargic, so GP has investigated all the usual things, B12, Iron, Prostate etc etc but nothing is awry. I am on BP medications (have been for years) so they do have some effect, but I was better than this last year, can't find out what has changed.

Never mind, the news that I have my diabetes under control has really cheered me up, so a big thank you vote from me to all the great advice I have had on here from folk with great knowledge and experience of the condition.

Take a bow, all who contribute on here.

Edited by mod to remove staff personal details

 

[Gracie204]

Hi, loved to hear your story. Have you tried taking electrolytes? I'm quite new to low carbing, and my energy was so low I felt like giving up. Tried the electrolytes and felt almost immediately the tiredness and brain fog lift.

Best wishes.

 

[Energize]

Hi, loved to hear your story. Have you tried taking electrolytes? I'm quite new to low carbing, and my energy was so low I felt like giving up. Tried the electrolytes and felt almost immediately the tiredness and brain fog lift.

Best wishes.

Hi @Gracie204
What 'electrolytes' do you take, in what form, etc, please? I'm interested

 

[Resurgam]

I'm afraid that your wild or wholemeal alternatives will not make them low carb - the brown carbs have just about the same effect as the white ones.
Although Your Hba1c is now normal the dense carb 'hits' could be the problem, so if you'd rather take a nap after eating, that might be something to consider.
The average of 45 and 55 is 50, but the average of 30 and 70 is also 50 - you could be experiencing highs and lows and feeling lethargic as a result.

 

[Listlad]

I'm relatively new around here, and have been missing for a while due to some real log-in difficulties which admin @DCUKMod has kindly persevered with and sorted for me.

Anyway, less waffle and get to the point Neil! I was diagnosed in May at 51/6.8% HbA1c so not badly diabetic but enough to take a shot across the bows.

The GP was new in his first weeks in the practice, and just referred me to the practice diabetic nurse - who he nor I didn't realise was....well, not too good. Finding this forum shortly afterwards pointed this out quite quickly, thanks guys and gals. Referring to advice here soon made me aware of the need to lower carb intake, not the rubbish I was being told about. Ah yes, Desmond - a day of my life I won't get back.

Discussing with the GP (who now is settling in - youngish and good it turns out) he was supportive of low (ish) carbing, but slightly sceptical. So off I go....cutting out white rice,pasta, bread, etc, just eating small portions of wild/wholemeal alternatives, lentil pasta, etc, Burgen bread and not a lot of any of it. Plenty good proteins etc.

July HbA1c 41/5.9%, GP impressed, Neil is too.

Now HbA1c - 36/5.4%, GP over the moon for me and now convinced, me over the moon too! Lost 10 kg and more, exercising a little more but hey I'm 60 and not sporty in the slightest, walk maybe 2 miles a day. GP declares T2 in remission - whoop!

The only disappointment is I still feel very lethargic, so GP has investigated all the usual things, B12, Iron, Prostate etc etc but nothing is awry. I am on BP medications (have been for years) so they do have some effect, but I was better than this last year, can't find out what has changed.

Never mind, the news that I have my diabetes under control has really cheered me up, so a big thank you vote from me to all the great advice I have had on here from folk with great knowledge and experience of the condition.

Take a bow, all who contribute on here.

Edited by mod to remove staff personal details

That’s great @New Haven Neil As you know I was originally (well almost ) diagnosed as Type 2 at one of the Douglas surgeries and they were obviously unaware of the benefits of lchf. So the IOM connection remains of interest to me.

 

[xfieldok]

Once we are in the "normal" range. it can take us a while for our bodies to catch up. I was a few months in and I suddenly had to wear my older prescription glasses. I would be interested in what electrolytes are around, I have never found any suitable, dodgy ingredients etc.

 

[Gracie204]

Hi @Gracie204
What 'electrolytes' do you take, in what form, etc, please? I'm interested

Hi
I've been attempting to follow a low carb diet on and off for the past eighteen months, but have relapsed several times when away on holiday. I've always enjoyed carbs so have tried to include small amounts in my diet such as a small slice of HiLo bread, a couple of new potatoes, a small chopped carrot, but found that they raised my blood glucose levels and cut them out, but did include salads, vegetables that grow above ground. However, I can't tell you how lacking in energy it made me. One member suggested that I take electrolytes, and I ignored the suggestion believing that I was getting all my minerals from the food I ate. How wrong I was. I have another holiday coming up, and felt as though I didn't have the energy to pack my case. Then I remembered that sometime ago I'd purchased some electrolytes and they'd been stuck up in the cupboard for ages. Dug them out, dissolved two tablets in a glass of water, glugged it down, and shortly afterwards the brain fog and tiredness lifted.

They are called ZERO Electrolyte Sports Drink (20 tablets per tube), which I purchased from the well known health food store on every high road. And today I've purchased another tube to take on holiday with me.

I'm sure that there are many experienced forum contributors who can advise you better than I can, but this is what worked for me.

Best wishes.

 

[New Haven Neil]

I'm afraid that your wild or wholemeal alternatives will not make them low carb - the brown carbs have just about the same effect as the white ones.
Although Your Hba1c is now normal the dense carb 'hits' could be the problem, so if you'd rather take a nap after eating, that might be something to consider.
The average of 45 and 55 is 50, but the average of 30 and 70 is also 50 - you could be experiencing highs and lows and feeling lethargic as a result.

I did say 'and not a lot of it'! I mix the brown/wild rice, when I have it, with cauliflower rice to pad it out, but I seldom have any rice or pasta types at all. I do test regularly and know what will give me a high spike, and thus avoid it as much as I can, but I take your point about averages - I suspect I also suffer from some reactive hypoglycaemia, which will do exactly as you say. Doesn't happen all the time, just occasionally. Like today - 4.1 and shaky. Weird stuff, diabetes. One of the BP meds is suspect also, but it works so well (many others haven't) for my BP I need to stick with that.

The comments about electrolytes are interesting and I will investigate that.

In general I do have more energy than I did, but its still not great. There are many factors at play here, I also don't sleep great as the result of a nasty foot injury a couple of years ago in which I almost lost my left foot, and have had surgery on the hip on the same side! All these factors together, and being 60 although I think I'm 17, may point to me having unrealistic expectations.

 

[Daphne917]

I did say 'and not a lot of it'! I mix the brown/wild rice, when I have it, with cauliflower rice to pad it out, but I seldom have any rice or pasta types at all. I do test regularly and know what will give me a high spike, and thus avoid it as much as I can, but I take your point about averages - I suspect I also suffer from some reactive hypoglycaemia, which will do exactly as you say. Doesn't happen all the time, just occasionally. Like today - 4.1 and shaky. Weird stuff, diabetes. One of the BP meds is suspect also, but it works so well (many others haven't) for my BP I need to stick with that.

@New Haven Neil well done on your progress so far and if what you’re eating works for you keep doing it.

 

[jjraak]

Congratulations @New Haven Neil

a great success 36....whoo hoo.

i note you are from the May 2019 intake.
i myself was the class of Aug '18.

that shaky feeling, ( the false hypo. for me.)
i suffered elements of that right up until april-ish the next year.
left me feeling pretty rubbish and lethargic each time.
(i run at mid 5's most of the time, sometimes a lower score caused it, but occasionally
i would test during an episode once back home, and still be in the mid 5's ..
i may have dipped, and worry/stressing pushed me back up... who knows )

it did diminish but i still got some issues of it from Dx to around
april, then it seems to have just died down.

So maybe you just have a little further to go before you too
have a body that has fully settled in to this new way of eating ?

well done getting B12 checked out.

best wishes for the next legs of the journey

 

[New Haven Neil]

Congratulations @New Haven Neil

a great success 36....whoo hoo.

i note you are from the May 2019 intake.
i myself was the class of Aug '18.

that shaky feeling, ( the false hypo. for me.)
i suffered elements of that right up until april-ish the next year.
left me feeling pretty rubbish and lethargic each time.
(i run at mid 5's most of the time, sometimes a lower score caused it, but occasionally
i would test during an episode once back home, and still be in the mid 5's ..
i may have dipped, and worry/stressing pushed me back up... who knows )

it did diminish but i still got some issues of it from Dx to around
april, then it seems to have just died down.

So maybe you just have a little further to go before you too
have a body that has fully settled in to this new way of eating ?

well done getting B12 checked out.

best wishes for the next legs of the journey

I don't think there's anything that hasn't been checked out! Iron, B12, Thyroid, kidneys, liver, prostate (both methods!) you name it, he's run the bloods for it. At least it gave me a good MOT which is no bad thing at this age. I have lost almost 2 stone now too, and am more active, but despite everyone telling me I look so much better, I don't really feel it! As I said above, maybe I'm OK, and my expectations are unreasonable.

#aside# A pal has an RF900 like that- it died on him here in TT week unfortunately, thing it's burnt a valve of the head gasket has gone.

 

[jjraak]

I don't think there's anything that hasn't been checked out! Iron, B12, Thyroid, kidneys, liver, prostate (both methods!) you name it, he's run the bloods for it. At least it gave me a good MOT which is no bad thing at this age. I have lost almost 2 stone now too, and am more active, but despite everyone telling me I look so much better, I don't really feel it! As I said above, maybe I'm OK, and my expectations are unreasonable.

#aside# A pal has an RF900 like that- it died on him here in TT week unfortunately, thing it's burnt a valve of the head gasket has gone.

nice to have someone spot bike for what it is..
sorry about your mates bike, but they are pretty easy to work on..it's a win for old over new, me thinks.

and back on track,
your tests all point to it perhaps just being that case of adjustment to your new regime, i hope

a small tale of mine....

late for work after weeks of struggling with the fall out of T2 and the Keto flu, maybe.
This one morning i wake, have GY and berries, decide to walk to station and pray i get the next train (not cancelled)
as i am running too late for the one i |SHOULD catch.
station about 15 mins walk away,
leave house decide to jog, first time i even tried running pre Dx in about 25 years..LoL
anyway had loads of energy, so jogged all the way there and ended up catching THE earlier TRAIN then the One i thought i would miss...hahaha.
not bad for what i had thought a decrepit 60 yr old..

good luck.
hope you'll feel better over time.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Just a little addendum to this, this week I have twice verged on hypo, with 3.8 and 3.6 BGs when tested after feeling a little shaky - so not false hypo but the real thing. Hmm, not sure at all what that is about, so will mention it to my GP in January when I next see him. Diabetes - gets more odd as time goes on!

 

[Resurgam]

Less of the comments about being old at 60 please - I'm 68 and have resumed my interest in morris dancing - that was taken up back when I was pottering about on a Suzuki 175cc, still trying to fix my BSA A10 - 650cc with sidecar.
Hypos might be a good sign, that your sensitivity to insulin is increasing.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Only the body is 60 - the head is 17!

Interesting comment about the sensitivity to insulin. I used to get reactive issues fairly frequently, but haven't for some time - possibly the amount of time I was developing type 2??? Food (low carb of course) for thought indeed.

 

[bulkbiker]

this week I have twice verged on hypo, with 3.8 and 3.6 BGs when tested after feeling a little shaky - so not false hypo but the real thing.

Probably perfectly normal but odd the first few times then your body gets used to being there and you won;t get the shaky feelings. Assuming you are still unmedicated that is.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Still no meds, not needed as my A1C is 36 now. Today I was 3.8, 3.6 and 4.4 through the day, and shaky - food the same as usual, nothing changed. Most odd. Had salmon and salad for dinner, and I'm 9.9! No carbs - what gives? Oh hang on, - pickled beetroot. Diabetes is odd indeed.

 

[JayAmerican]

Hi, loved to hear your story. Have you tried taking electrolytes? I'm quite new to low carbing, and my energy was so low I felt like giving up. Tried the electrolytes and felt almost immediately the tiredness and brain fog lift.

Best wishes.

I will concur on this BUT make sure it's a zero calorie version. 2 weeks ago I vomited (hadn't done that in years) and major poop problem for a few hours in the day (very likely I was going a bit overboard with almond-based foods or caught a bug) and knew I needed to take in some electrolytes but to stay keto I chose the zero calorie versions. Since then my mental energy has been a little better than when I initially cut the carbs and I will be continuing to supplement my liquid intake with a balance of those zero calorie sport drinks. I have also been taking a B-complex supplement (which contains B-12) as well as vitamin D and this has helped me to avoid the lethargy of losing what my body has been using I think to keep me more alert: glucose. Also, although I'm not testing as accurately as possible, my ketone levels are up which indicates my body is at least partly switching to ketones for energy and my morning fasting tests are dropping, which means the liver is running out of stored glucose to dump, forcing my body to use ketones instead. Exercise can also help over time to improve alertness and maintain better sleep cycles, which will reduce daytime feelings of tiredness.

 

[DumfriesDik]

Well done Neil.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Well done Neil and hope you can spread the word via your lovely GP and not so good DSN at that practice. Otherss have done a 1 page flyer describing their story as this doesn't seem to constitute clinical advice!
More cheese and less chutney/pickles then!